All There Is

Chapter 2:Hardin

"Hardin Allen Scott get downstairs!Your going to be late."My mother yells.I sigh, looking around my room to make sure I didn't leave anything that I might need for college today.Finally college it feels good to say that.All these years of studying with my girlfriend Steph and ignoring any type of human life form besides her finally payed off.

As I begin to reach the end of the stairs I hear my mom yelling "Hardi-!"

"No need Mum.I'm down here."I say walking to the kitchen island where she is sat waiting for me.

"Good because you were going to be late."She says cleaning off my polo shirt and adjusting my glasses.

"I'm never late Mum."I say.

"We'll see about that."She says grabbing my chin.She heads to grab her purse and begins to head for the door.I follow her only for her to abruptly stop in her tracks causing me to stumble a bit.

She looks at me as if she is examining me like some science experiment.She walks over to me and says "You could have down your hair Harold."She says styling my hair.

I shrug her hands off and she sighs "My baby boy all grown up."

"It's fine mum let's go."I say because I hate being late.

"Your right let's go."She says sniffling her nose.

When we arrive at the college we head for the dorm building A-B to find B22 my dorm for the year.I reach my door seeing nobody has arrived yet.My mom walks in with my stuff and helps me assemble my calendar,organize my desk, set up my laundry hamper and put away my clothes.

"Okay Mum I think we're done here."I say with a  smile.

"Okay good luck Harold and make sure to study hard.No distractions.We have worked to hard for you to get off track okay?I'll tell Steph to text you bye."She says.

"Actual-"I begin but I'm too late because she slams the door as I'm mid sentence.I've been meaning to break up with Steph for a while.I just don't feel like I love her anymore.She is very clingy and obsessive I can't handle it.I am an independent young man and I need my space.I don't have time for her cliche high school drama and petty fights.Even though she does make a good study partner.

After a few hours of reading and planning the rest of this week I hear my door unlock to reveal a young girl.She has blond hair and ocean blue eyes.She's gorgeous.She seems taken a back by my presence "Umm I think you got the wrong room dude."Dude?

She places her things on the bed across from mine.I immediately take note of little of things she brought here.Weird.

"No I got the right room."I say heading over to my bookshelf to organize it a bit better.Organization calms me and I can already feel myself being anything but calm around this girl.

"Yea but here's the thing.I'm a girl and your a guy.So unless the rooms are-"She tries to say but I interrupt her.

"Unisex.Yea they are."I say with a bit of an attitude.I'm not looking at her but I know she is rolling her eyes.I smirk.I sit on my bed with a book but can't seem to focus on the words on the page because of the blond beauty I see across from me.As she unpacks her stuff I take note of the fact that all of the clothes she packed are very dark colored.She doesn't have anything else besides  a comforter, a leather jacket and a picture.It's the only picture she has and I can see her smiling at it rubbing the corner of it with her finger.As if she is remember something that makes her happy.She places the picture on her night stand and my nosy side feels compelled to ask something so I do "Who is that?"

She slowly turns around and looks at me "What?"

"It's just you don't have much things except your clothes and that picture so it must mean something to you.Who is it?"I ask again.

She looks down and snarls "No one you need to be concerned about and next time you feel the need to observe me so closely maybe take note of the fact that I clearly don't feel like talking to you.It's called reading the room, try it some time."Her voice is laced with venom attacking me.Jesus christ I just asked a simple question what is her issue?

I huff and say "What's your problem?"After realizing what I just said I actually sound a bit...whiney.

She rolls her eyes and says "I don't have a problem but if you want one we can.I have a little anger in me and I wouldn't mind a little confrontation."She steps closer to me and I suck in a harsh breathe.I can feel the room getting hotter and for some reason this dominance she has gives my...private area...a feeling it has never felt before and my khakis grow uncomfortably tight, which is odd because my mother bought them a size up.

"Why are you so angry?"I ask trying to calm myself and you know what down there...down.

"That's what you got out of everything I said."She laughs laugh."Jesus who even are you?"She continues still laughing seemingly at me.

"Scott.Hardin."I reach out my hand but she doesn't acknowledge and just walks back to her bed.

"Well Scott.I'm Tessa Young and this should be one fun year."She says with fake enthusiasm which I choose to not acknowledge.

"Your not from here are you?"I ask.

"No I'm not what gave it away?"She says sarcastically but I chose to answer her question seriously hoping to make her laugh even if its at me.

"Well I noticed you don't have an accent so thats a start."I shrug.She laughs at my response and I raise a brown acting like I didn't understand the joke but I did and I was thrilled.She shrugs me off and my phone begins to ring,It's Steph.

I answer and say "Hey babe."Trying to sound completely normal when I just got a pants tightening thing or whatever you call when your private are gets a little rougher or whatever.

"Let's FaceTime okay?"I ask.I want to study with her a bit and the best way to do that is over FaceTime.Plus it will get my mind off the girl right across from me.Steph and I spend the whole call just studying and exchanging notes and this is what I mean by I don't love her.We do the same exact thing every single time we go out it gets boring and after whatever I felt in my underwear when Tessa got closer to me I just can't see Steph the same.I had planned on breaking up with her but having Tessa in the room while I did it over FaceTime just seemed to cruel.

"So what's with your girl?"Tessa asks breaking the silence there was between us before.

"What do you mean Steph?"

"Yea whatever her name is.What is with her?"She asks again.I still don't quite understand her question but I will answer to the best of my ability.

"Nothing we were just talking."I shrug.

"Yea about studying and notes.Why isnt she here with you?She seems nerdy enough to get into this dump."She's not wrong.

"She's still in high school."She laughs and I don't understand what's funny.

"So she likes sugar daddies?"She cocks a brow laughing and I immediately get flustered at her dirty joke.

"U-U'm no."I try to deny but it seems to only fuel her more.

"Come on Scott how much does she pay you to give her high school brain quickies in between nap time and snack time?"My cheeks turn red.She seems to understand this as a confirmation to reveal what I am.

"Dude you are a virgin aren't you?"

"W-What no."I deny.It doesn't seem to work.

"Have you ever jerked off?"She asks.

No."Y-Yea of course."I lie.

"What is jerking off Hardin?"She says with a smirk.

"I-I don't know okay!"Steph and I are waiting for marriage."I admit and stand up from my bed.She bursts into laugher cracking up on her bed and I storm out.Not knowing exactly where to go but knowing it has to be away from here and fast.